Tag Archives: Ay Mi Negra

Panama City is the ideal spot to take advantage of a cold treat. The Republic of Panama, located on the isthmus linking Central and South America, has a tropical maritime climate, where the daily high is around 32° Celsius (or about 89° Fahrenheit) and the daily low around 25° Celsius (or about 77° Fahrenheit). Panama is also very humid, especially during the rainy season, which runs from May to December, where the humidity is around 80%. Get for your skin, but not so great for those that tend to overheat (or suffer from frizzy hair).

So, after being embraced by Panama’s heat and humidity for over a decade, what’s the best way to cool down? From the inside out!

While in Casco Viejo, check out the following shops where you’re guaranteed to find a delicious, refreshing treat.

Ay Mi Negra prepares their unique, artisinal desserts right in front of your eyes on a cold stone. Though the locale and dessert variety are relatively small, the presentation and flavor combination are on point. The prices are reasonable and the portions are HUGE. Come hungry or ready to share!

Although (and most likely because) the desserts are so delicious, the wait can be very long (depending on the day and time of day)… Anywhere between 20 and 90 minutes.

Forever Yogurt

Forever Yogurt is a franchise self-serve froyo shop. With over 85 rotating flavors (and approximately 14 at any one time) and over 100 toppings, it’s hard to go wrong! Are you Kosher? Or allergic to gluten? No problem! Forever Yogurt is certified Kosher in Panama, as well as provides options that are gluten free, sugar free and lactose free.

Toppings range from healthy, like nuts and fruit, to deliciously unhealthy, like Reese’s Pieces and Butterfingers.

Buyer beware… Forever Yogurt charges by weight. At 89 cents an ounce, a yogurt can end up costing $15 and upwards.

GranClément serves traditional, gourmet ice cream and sorbets. Founded in 2005 by a French chef glacier (a chef responsible for preparing ice cream and cold desserts) who had relocated from France to Panama.

GranClément’s kitchen values are quality, flavor and tradition. They use only raw materials that are high quality, natural and without any dye or artificial flavoring. GranClément recently added a vegan dairy-free ice cream and a light ice cream (low in fat and sugar) to their menu.

GranClément’s msot popular flavors are Dulce de Leche, Pistachio, Rocky Road and Blackberry.

Customers can choose from simple, fruit-based popsicles, like strawberry or kiwi, or opt for a more decadent option, like the “Kit Kat” or “La Colombiana”. The Kit Kat is a gelatto popsicle with a Kit Kat bar inside. “La Colombiana” is a cappuccino-flavored gelatto popsicle. Customers can also make their own in three simple steps… 1) Choose your popsicle, 2) Choose your dipping, 3) Choose your topping.

The most recommended popsicles are Cheesecake, Mojito, Venezolana, Colombiana, S’mores and Mexicana.

La Michoacana

La Michoacana has over 110,000 followers on Instagram, as well as countless pictures that will make your mouth water.

La Michoacana’s claim to fame is their popsicles. Options range from healthy, fruit-based to delightfully sinful, where their most famous popsicle is the strawberry filled with condensed milk. In addition to popsicles, they serve traditional ice cream and “raspado”, or shaved ice, as well.

The most recommended items are strawberry filled with condensed milk, mango and chile, watermelon filled with lemon and the strawberry and mango.

Rass

Rass Panama is the self-proclaimed first gourmet “Raspadería”, or Shaved Ice Shop, in Panama.

Rass features a variety of natural flavors, including citrus (orange, lemon and lime), pineapple, coconut, strawberry, passion fruit, blueberry, and cherimoya. To liven up your shaved ice, you can add condensed milk, malted milk or molasses.

The counter features a “diablo rojo”, or red devil, a symbol of Panamanian culture that have been disappearing from the streets. Diablo rojos are school buses from the United States, bought second hand and shipped to Panama, that undergo a makeover to become an extremely colorful, and oftentimes loud, means of transportation.

Benissimo

Benissimo is a gourmet gelato and coffee shop, featuring 100% natural, hand crafted ice cream. If you’re in the mood for savory, they have options as well.

Unlike some of the other dessert shops mentioned, Buenissimo’s atmosphere is welcoming and cozy. Whether you’re looking to enjoy your sweet treat in peace, to catch up on some work or to have an informal meeting, it’s an ideal spot.

The most recommended desserts are the straciatella ice cream, the brownie gelato and the waffle gelato.

MAGNOLIA INN HOTEL & HOSTEL, CASCO VIEJO, PANAMA

Warm showers, clean bathrooms, air conditioned room, great location. They speak very good English at the reception desk.

Alejandro Guzmán.

02:50 15 Jul 18

Loved this place! Highly recommended. The WiFi is really good. Nice rooms. The kitchen is nice and the common area as well. Comfy beds and nice bathrooms. Staff is amazing: super friendly and helpful. Good location. The only downside is that the family living next door likes to be outside, so the whole day and part of the night you will be hearing them talking and hanging out.

Richard Bradley

00:32 07 Jul 18

Friendly. Clean. Safe. Well-maintained. Good bed and pillows. Attractive building and decor. Great location in the historic old quarter.

Martin Buergler

16:04 06 Jun 18

Great Frontdesk Team - nice Accomondation - looking to get back soon... 😊

Lul Brott

02:20 27 Apr 18

Great place, well located, super clean and the common area looks very nice. Highly recommendable!

Karl Beranek

17:25 18 Feb 18

I have had an excellent 5 day stay here. The kitchen is well stocked with utensils. The hostel rooms with AC are very cold at night but I think you can rent a blanket. The facility is very clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Joseph Seco

12:27 08 Feb 18

Hotel Boutique And Luxury Hostel, great location in old Town, fabulous staff and great facilities, unbelievable rooms and hostel

May Tzur

23:15 20 Jan 18

All the staff at the hotel were amazing and very helpful. We had a problem with our room and they did the best they could to keep us happy. The kitchen is very nice and actually has an oven that works (unlike most other hostels). The shower was definitely my favorite thing about the plave though, it was spacious and the shower head was heavenly. The only thing i didnt like is that our room was on the ground floor so it was very noisy at night from the street, which is not something they have control over so I cant complain! I would definitely recommend!

Katarzyna Abraham

00:02 18 Jan 18

Good location. Old Town of Panama City. Very clean. Aircon on. Very friendly staff.

Drew Sommer

16:52 11 Jan 18

Well maintained, friendly hostel with some private rooms on top, which we stayed in. Had to climb stairs and calling what we had a balcony is pushing it, but rooms did have a view. Rooms are pleasant and clean and the location is really good. We would stay again.

Nice place. Clean beds in a/c rooms. Kitchen facilities with a balcony to eat on. Comfortable couches to rest on after a day walking around Casco Viejo and Contra Costera. Friendly people who can give great recommendations for tours and eating. My first visit with a hostel and enjoyed it more than a traditional hotel. Will do it again.

Rhys Halsey

19:40 28 Nov 17

Good hotel, stayed in the shared dormitories. They were clean, and so were the bathrooms. Good experience overall. The streets around there are a little sketchier than others in Casco, but safe. The hotel does a good job of having good security to get in. They claimed to have free parking which is actually in a parking lot 2 streets down which we never managed to find, the staff were not very helpful in explaining where it was, so don't bank on the free parking.

Marielisa Bajana

20:48 19 Nov 17

Great location. Right on the historical center. Beds are comfy and hostel is clean.

Ben Aurich

02:12 17 Nov 17

I stayed in the hotel side, not the hostel/dormitories. The rooms were clean and fresh, with nice linens. Staff and owner were super friendly, and the access to the hostel kitchen was a great perk. We stayed here on Panama independence week, and the music got loud at night, but not unbearably. I'd recommend this establishment to any of my friends.

Frazer Burlinson

01:08 06 Nov 17

Friendly and helpful bilingual staff. Great communal area and kitchen. Casco Viejo is a lively area at night so don't choose the ballroom dormitory if you are a light sleeper!

Johnathan Abrahamy

08:56 26 Oct 17

Very nice hostel right in the middle of the old city. Friendly staff and nice rooms (both dorms and private rooms)

Marine Le Faucheur

18:07 12 Sep 17

Great hostel, well located in cacao Viejo! Very clean, I took the non A.C one and it was a huge room with couches and table and every bed had a little fan so it was perfect. People are really nice and you have everything you need. Only cons is that it's surrounded by bars and all with very loud music until late.